Category Archives: Cooking

Here you’ll find everything about cooking that isn’t actually a recipe. Tips, techniques, gripes, whatever.

The miracle of cole slaw

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Burnt My Fingers

The classic L’il Abner comic strip had a recurring character called the Schmoo. To quote Wikipedia, “Shmoos are delicious to eat, and are eager to be eaten. If a human looks at one hungrily, it will happily immolate itself—either by … Continue reading →

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Recipe: Carrot Pickle for Dave Chang

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Burnt My Fingers

I found this carrot pickle recipe on chow.com originally, but it was way too sweet. After adjusting the ingredients I discovered it was the same pickling proportion used by David Chang in the Momofuku cookbook. If you want to mess with … Continue reading →

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Recipe forensics… revisited

Posted on February 11, 2012 by Burnt My Fingers

A while back, we talked about recipe forensics …. the notion of figuring out the ingredients of a dish by getting inside the head of the person who makes it. Let’s say that person is an ethnic or home cook … Continue reading →

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House brand taste test… Ketchup!

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Burnt My Fingers

I have a soft spot for store or “house” brands. I’m convinced that they are not made in actual houses, but in the same factories used to produce the national brands*. The difference comes when it’s time to slap on … Continue reading →

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Recipe: Korean Fried Chicken

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Burnt My Fingers

Sweet, sour, spicy, greasy: so good and so so good for you (not). This was my contribution to the neighborhood Super Bowl party. Makes 6-8 appetizer portions using one of the 2.5 pound Tyson bags I found at my supermarket; … Continue reading →

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Sour slaw: my obsession continues

Posted on December 9, 2011 by Burnt My Fingers

So I’m back in Dallas with the opportunity to compare my sour slaw recipe to the original at Highland Park Cafeteria. I’m ready to call it a draw. My concoction is as close as I’m likely to get considering the … Continue reading →

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Helpful bread

Posted on December 7, 2011 by Burnt My Fingers

My friend was in a battle with a pit bull. I could say “he was attacked by a pit bull” but it’s more complicated than that. What is undeniable is that the pit bull attacked his family dog on their … Continue reading →

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The secret to cooking pasta

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Burnt My Fingers

The secret to cooking pasta for good tasting Italian dishes is to undercook it, then finish in the sauce so it absorbs lots of saucy goodness. For an easy twist on this, dump a can of chopped clams with the juice into … Continue reading →

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Recipe: Baked Ziti with Clams alla Diavolo

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Burnt My Fingers

Portions: Entrée to serve 4 Ingredients: ½ lb ziti or penne or similar pasta salt 16 oz marinara sauce (I use Casa Visco, an upstate New York brand) ½ onion, finely chopped 2 T olive oil 2 T lemon juice … Continue reading →

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Noonday onions

Posted on October 27, 2011 by Burnt My Fingers

Noonday onions. The name just has to put a smile on your face. Maybe they’re called noonday because the onions are harvested at high noon, after the morning sun has burnt off their volatile oils so they are especially sweet … Continue reading →

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